(1) Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to racks for holding or storing items, preferably (in some embodiments) elongate items such as fishing rods, paddles, brooms, implements and the like. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to racks that may be mounted to a structure or other substratum in a variety of angles and/or lengths, preferably mounted diagonally to a horizontal support structure (such as a ceiling or guidetracks of an overhead-movable door) and a vertical support structure (such as a wall).
(2) Background of Invention
Some known racks that are arguably material to patentability include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,539 issued to Richbourg is for a garage door mounted rod and reel holder. It discloses a holder or rack for storing a number of fishing rods and reels, using the inside of a garage door for support. Each of the brackets has at least three predrilled holes, and the mounting means comprises screws which are threaded through said holes and into the garage door panel. The brackets are mounted onto the back of a garage door, thereby utilizing the otherwise unused space on the flat panels of a garage door.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,592 issued to Lindenmeyer is for a fishing rod storage device comprising two mounting racks that are configured to allow one or more fishing rods to be placed in it stationary locations include, but are not limited to, a garage, boathouse, attic, or shed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,783 issued to Webb is for a utility hook for attachment to an overhead garage door track, such that the upper portion of the utility hook may fit tightly against the outer vertical surface and outer horizontal upper flange of the ceiling mounted section of the garage door track. Also disclosed is a right angle extension comprising a lip formed in a manner as to engage and hold the garage door utility hook onto the ceiling mounted garage door track. There is also a long straight leg that is secured to a beam, and a short leg is adapted to hook over the garage door track.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,636,155 issued to Kern is for a pivotally mounted storage apparatus. Disclosed is a support rod pivotally movable between a storage configuration (at which the support rod is generally parallel to a beam) and an extended configuration at which the support rod is generally perpendicular to the beam; a capture member is displaced from the mounting member and configured to be attached to the beam inside the storage structure.
The website found at http://www.walmart.com/ip/23662833 discloses an organized fishing rod rack having a 9-capacity wire horizontal/ceiling rod rack” for mounting on the wall or on the ceiling.
Another website found at http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/372465-garage-door-overhead-rod-storage.html#b discloses a garage door overhead rod storage rack that is ceiling-mountable.